Hanoi’s first metro to operate 18 hours a day

The long-delayed Cat Linh–Ha Dong Metro Section, the first to operate in the country, is expected to begin commercial operations at the end of this month starting from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m every day.

Officials have said that if demand is low in the beginning, the frequency of trains will be 10-15 minutes. When demand increases, the frequency will be increased to 6-7 minutes during regular hours and 2-3 minutes during rush hours. A train will stop for 30-45 seconds at each station.

The minimum fare will be VND7,000 per trip and VND15,000 for a full trip. A 30-day pass will cost VND200,000 ($8.69). The metro will use card tickets.

A full trip from Cat Linh to the south-western district of Ha Dong, going through 12 stations, will take 25 minutes.

Each train can carry up to 960 passengers and will be equipped with a two-way radio system that allows passengers to communicate directly with staff in case of emergency.

The trains will run at an average 35 kilometers per hour, compared to buses that have an average speed of 16 kilometers per hour.

Signs, directions and public announcements will be made in both Vietnamese and English.

People with disabilities can use elevators at all stations.

More ATMs, vending machines, food and souvenir stalls are expected to open in the near future.

Hanoi has employed 681 locals to run the metro, 201 of them trained in China.

Authorities are working to increase and relocate 26 bus stops alongside the metro section to increase connectivity. Eventually there will be 65 stops with a 400-meter average walking distance between two stops.

There are currently 51 bus routes running alongside the metro route, and this is set to rise to 59.